Star Wars fans tracked down the Millennium Falcon sitting in a field with storage containers surrounding it

When it comes to producing a Star Wars film, there is a great amount of secrecy behind the scenes in order to prevent leaks and details about the plot. One thing that doesn’t really need to be kept out of sight is the Millennium Falcon, the iconic ship that has appeared in the three original Star Wars films, Episode VII and will once again be featured in the upcoming release of The Last Jedi. We all know it is there.

Of course, hiding a life-size model of the ship is still wise in order to prevent possible looters and those with agendas that align with the dark side in spirit, so covering it up from plain sight is advisable. The problem is, you can’t exactly place this famous piece of junk just anywhere, like in the garage next to your pod racer. This thing has to stay outside. And no matter how much you do try to hide it, there will be determined fans to track it down by any means necessary.

The ship famously captained by Han Solo (R.I.P.) and Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars age and now likely to be flown by Rey alongside Chewbacca, is currently being stored by a golf club in England. The location is across the street from a film studio in Surrey where footage for The Last Jedi was recorded. In a nonstop frenzy to track down as many details as possible about the upcoming film, some Star Wars fans started tracking down the studio and its surroundings using Google Maps.

It was through this satellite imagery that fans discovered what appeared to be the Millennium Falcon being surrounded by a few storage and shipping containers designed to block off the view of the ship from the surface. The ship also appeared to be draped, partially, by some cover. But there isn’t a cover large enough for the Falcon, and the front tips of the ship are easily distinguishable from above.

It appears as though someone previously discovered the ship made famous for doing the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs over the summer, but with the release of the next Star Wars film a little more than a month away, the buzz for any Star Wars-related content has brought this search some new attention.

Eagle-eyed Star Wars fans also saw the Millennium Falcon in Episode III, and the ship figures to play a key role in the future Han Solo film, Solo. We will have to wait and see what the fate of the Millennium Falcon is in Episode VIII next month, but here’s to hoping the ship survives to see another episode in the ninth episode planned by Disney.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released in theaters on December 15, 2017. Solo: A Star Wars Story is scheduled for a May 25, 2018 release date.

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to NBCSports.com's College Football Talk, Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Host of the No 2-Minute Warning Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and iHeart Radio. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.